Welcome to the fifth post in the Newborn Session Series – 5 Tips For an Easy In-Home Newborn Session. Throughout this Newborn Session Series, I will be guiding you through the entire process. From deciding to have your newborn photo session, all the way through what to do with your photos once you have them, we’ll be covering everything you need to know to ensure you end up with beautiful photos you will cherish forever.
Feel free to bookmark this post and come back to it as all of the posts will be linked here as they are released.
More in this series:
- The Top 5 Reasons To Book a Newborn Photo Session – Even If Feels Overwhelming
- The 20 Most Important Questions to Ask Your Newborn Photographer Before Booking
- What To Wear For Newborn Photos: The Complete Family Guide
- When To Take Newborn Photos: The Complete Guide
- 5 Tips for An Easy In-Home Newborn Session
- The 8 Best Newborn Photos At Home
Today we’re going to go over a few things that you can do to make sure that you have an easy in-home newborn session. Some easy prep on your end can make all the difference in the difference in your newborn session experience. Feel free to use the Table of Contents below to jump to a specific section if needed.
Table of Contents
1. Get everyone on board for an easy in-home newborn session
At least a day before the session, take some time to talk to everyone who will be participating in the session. Let them know what to expect from the session so that they are prepared and excited for it.
For children, let them know that the photographer is coming over to spend some time with them and to take some pictures of them and their new baby sibling. Let them know that it will be a lot of fun and that they will get to play and sing silly songs.
For partners, explain why this session is important to you. Take a moment to show them some of your favorite images from your photographer’s Instagram or website so that they know the style to expect.
2. Get your house ready for an easy in-home newborn session
You do NOT – I repeat – DO NOT need to clean your entire house before my arrival! I am not at your home to judge your organizational skills and cleanliness. I am there to take photos of your beautiful family.
The newborn phase is busy enough without adding “clean the house” to your to-do list. When I arrive I’ll take a look around, find the best light and then move anything that might be distracting out of the way. It’s honestly that easy!
Another, very important way to prepare your house is to make sure to turn the heat up about 30 minutes before your session. A warm, cozy baby will sleep much more comfortably during their session. I always joke that if I’m not sweating during a session, it’s too cold for your baby!
3. Get yourself and your baby ready ahead of time.
Make sure that you have your hair and makeup done about 45 minutes before I arrive. This will give you plenty of time to sit down and feed your baby starting about 30 minutes before my arrival. Building in this buffer of extra time will you to feel relaxed and ready. It also ensures your baby has a full tummy so that they will be more comfortable and relaxed. A full, sleepy baby makes for a very easy in-home newborn session!
4. Have snacks and water ready for your family
No one is at the top of their game when they are hungry! Having clean, dry snacks such as puffs, cheerios, or crackers available for you and your children to munch on makes things go a lot smoother! Also, make sure to have water close by so that you can stay well hydrated – especially if you are nursing or pumping!
5. Relax and let go of expectations
Newborn session days never fit on a perfect timeline. Babies cluster feed, (many) diapers need to be changed, siblings need some extra TLC, and parents are exhausted.
Remind yourself that the point of these photos is to capture your family exactly how you are right now. If that means the only way to engage your toddler is by singing “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” on repeat while letting them dance their sillies out, then we’ll do that! We’ll have fun and get gorgeous photos at the same time. One day, you’re going to look back on those photos and remember the pure joy that they felt while dancing.
By relaxing and letting go of expectations, your entire family will follow your lead, feed off your energy, and enjoy their time together.
Next week we’ll be talking about the top 10 photos to make sure you get during your newborn session so be sure to check back to learn more!
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Kate Voda is a New Jersey Newborn Photographer specializing in in-home newborn lifestyle photography sessions and lifestyle portrait photography sessions. Kate serves Central New Jersey and the surrounding areas.
